The present invention is directed generally to the field of electrophotographic printing, and more particularly to a flexible toner regulating member.
One step in the electrophotographic printing process typically involves providing a relatively uniform layer of toner on a toner carrier, such as a developer roller, that in turn supplies that toner to photoconductive element to develop a latent image thereon. Typically, it is advantageous if the toner layer has a uniform thickness and a uniform charge level. As is known in the art, one common approach to regulating the toner on the toner carrier is to employ a so-called doctor or metering blade. While there have been a number of doctor blade designs proposed in the art, there remains a need for alternative designs that address the special concerns of the electrophotographic development process.